My name really isn’t
Snow White — I just
feel like her
having escaped not from
a wicked step-mother
but from a treacherous second marriage
into the sanctuary of my own home
with 5 cats
leftover from that faulty union
which left me not one
sentiment
so I clean the litter
morning and night
and feed the children
Molly, Jerome, Cami, Moulan & Astro
trying to pet each one
every day
at least
On St. Patrick’s Day
or thereabouts
a friend and I
got fooled by two goose decoys
bobbing in the pond
down by The Hawk Beach
Days later I saw one real live goose
stride into the pond
to float beside his fake friends
and I thought to write a poem
about The Lonely Goose
until today, April 5th
when I walked down to the pond
to see if he was still there
accompanied by his plastic companions
and lo & behold
he was there with another
real live mate
who swivelled its head
and glided through the water
to form The Pair
in living flesh and feathers
beside the two pretenders
Joanna Gilman Hyde 